Last week, Michigan State lost two major offensive standouts from last year’s 5-7 team: starting QB Payton Thorne and starting wideout Keon Coleman, who was regarded as one of the top players in the program. As of late, things for the Michigan State Spartans have been going bad to worse; following Michigan State’s disappointing year in 2022, it appears as if the SEC’s Auburn Tigers may be taking two former standout players ahead of the 2023 season.
SEC taking two Big Ten starting offensive standouts from the Michigan State Spartans via the transfer portal
The Michigan State Spartans were rocked last season with the news of two key transfer losses: Payton Thorne and Keon Coleman. Both were starters on last year’s squad, with Coleman standing out as one of the top offensive players in the entire Big Ten. He was also known for his abilities on Tom Izzo’s Michigan State basketball team. Now, it appears that the SEC is looking to add both former Spartans via the transfer portal.
Today, Payton Thorne announced his commitment to the Auburn Tigers, joining a shallow QB room to compete for the starting spot this fall. It has also been confirmed that Keon Coleman has an upcoming visit to Auburn, AL, which could further shake things up for Michigan State and the SEC. While Thorne’s departure may not have a significant impact as the Spartans have emerging quarterbacks expected to contend for the QB1 spot this fall, losing Coleman is a huge blow to the team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players on the Spartans’ roster.
This fall, the rebuilding Michigan State Spartans will face numerous obstacles. However, with the current shape of Mel Tucker’s contract, there is not much the Spartans can do if they suffer their third losing season in four years.
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